Kuwana-ju Morishige Wakizashi

[Mark S.]

This blade was posted by another member in the General Nihonto Related section of the Board.  I am the new owner of the blade.  The blade was covered in a heavy dried grease(?) which I have carefully tried to remove, but there is still quite a bit of “white staining”.  The staining makes photographing details very difficult as it tends to cause glare and ‘wash out’ photos.  There really is a lot to see with blade in hand that I just haven’t been able capture with photographs yet.  Here are the basics:

 

Wakizashi

 

Mei:  Kuwana-ju Morishige - translation originally provided by NMB Member Steve M. (Thank You!).  No date on other side

 

Nagasa: 51.5cm

Nakago: 14.5cm

Overall: 66cm

Sori: 14mm

Very active midare hamon that is almost impossible to capture in photographs so far

 

So, with my limited references and the internet, I am assuming that based on the mei, this Morishige is from Ise Province (from the Kuwana-ju reference).  The only school that I can find attached to this Province is the Sengo School (which I know may also be wishful thinking), but this smith could also be a provincial or country school smith.  However, I can find no mention of a Morishige working in Kuwana, or Ise, or as part of the Sengo school or any other school in that area.  Possibly a member of the later Shinto Masashige school?  Does anyone have any ideas/records about this smith or could he just be Meikan-more?

 

The next few posts will contain very inadequate pictures, but it is the best I can do at this time.  ANY help or comments would be appreciated.  I know in the end, this will have to get into the hands of people much more qualified than I for an assessment of quality and a future polish (if warranted).  It will have to wait for next year’s Chicago Show… God willing that we have one!

 

THANKS ALL,

Mark S.

 

NOTE: Full blade pic below is how it arrived covered in the grease.

[Mark S.]

Pics of nakago & mei

[Mark S.]

Sugata pics.  Used line in wood floor to help show shape & sori.  Was VERY gentle laying it down!

[Mark S.]

General Pics 1

[Mark S.]

General Pics 2

[Mark S.]

General Pics 3

Last two pics highlight an interesting (to me) feature in hamon... almost looks like a helmet with two horns?  OK... just my imagination!!!

[Mark S.]

Boshi Pics

[Tom Darling]

I see a fellow diving into the (hamon) sea. I believe, it would take a good polish, nice sword.

 

 

 

Tom D.

[MHC]

Nice score, I too tried to buy this sword from Clay...but you beat me too it....sighhh.

[Mark S.]

I see a fellow diving into the (hamon) sea. I believe, it would take a good polish, nice sword.

 

 

 

Skinny dipping?... on my sword?... the AUDACITY!!!

[DoTanuki yokai]

Looks like Mino for me, also i think there is higaki yasurime visible ?

[Mark S.]

Looks like Mino for me, also i think there is higaki yasurime visible ?

 

Interesting.  While Kuwana falls in Ise Province proper, it is also very close to Mino border.  So I would assume there may be some crossover/influence in style?  A Mino smith signing with or working in Ise/Kuwana?  And yes, there are some hints of higaki yasurime.  The nakago 'feels' older and much of the yasurime marks are obscured.  

[Mark S.]

So I have reached out to a couple very knowledgeable resources who agree that the smith is Meikan-more.  One thing I have seen, at least as far as on-line references go, is that most Sengo smith mei's include the term "Seishu" in the the mei and few documented mei's are in the "gojimei" (would this be the correct term for a 5 kanji mei?) form as found on this blade.  The only documented mei's I could find in this gojimei form that begin with "Kuwana-ju" are Fujimasa - Bunki era (1501-1504), Masamori - Bunki era, and Muramasa - Bunki era.  I found another gojimei example on Reddit signed Kuninaga but no other reference to that smith either.  Not sure I can make anything of this information yet, but just documenting the on-going research.  If anyone has any other examples of Sengo smiths who signed in this way that I missed, I would be interested in your comments.